Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-10
OATHS.

OATHS.
1t is surprising the number OF Gentiles
encountered by the Registrars, who re-
iuse TO take the oath prescribed by the
law of the last session. The reasons
given are various. Some of them are
disgusted with the defeat OF the Tucker
bill and have lost faith in anything being
done by Congress in the future. Others,
who would be willing to comply with the
if they thought there was a
possibility of success at the election,
but not so believing, consider it |
a waste of time to take the
trouble to register and vote.
The objection which is urged by the
greatest number, however, is that it is
degrading to loyal citizen and lower
ing of the dignity Of the elective franchise
to be obliged to swear that he will not
violate the law; that it is farcical for a
man who has perhaps fought for
the laws, to declare under oath that
be will continue to do SO. This, in our
opinion, is the weakest of all the objec-
tions urged. 1t should be remembered
that the oath test was not established for
them, and that, if the majority of the
people in Utah were like them, no such
test would be required. The law in that
respect, however, must be made general
in its application, and no statute could be
constitutionally devised which would
exempt them from its provisions.
They should be willing, as loyal
citizens, to overcome their preiu-
dices in this respect, for the
purpose, if nothing more, of proving to
Congress that the Gentiles of Utah have
used their best endeavors to render sue
cessful the law which has been given
them. Having this proof in hand, they
can consistently ask, at the next session,
for legislature which can be more effec-
lively applied. There are cleo
ton test oaths in every State and
Territory in the Republic. Everyone has
at least to swear that he is twenty-one
years of age; that he has resided in the
State or Territory a certain length of
time, and that he is a citizen of the
United State. Is it degrading to man
who was born in this country, and is per-
haps a descendent of its earliest settlers,
to swear that ne is an American citizen,
or is it farcical, if he is seventy-fve years
Of age, to swear that he is twenty-one?
Is it reflection upon any man OF ac-
knowledged integrity, whose reputation
for truth is beyond question to
swear, before he goes upon the
witness stand, that he will tell
the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth? During the war,
in every Northern State it was necessary,
as a prerequisite to voting, to subscribe
to an oath Of loyalty to the United States
Government. This was applied to all |
alike, and we never heard OF friend OF the |
Union refusing to take it, for the rea-
son that it was an aspersion upon his
loyalty. Election oaths are formulated |
to restrain persons from voting who are |
not entitled to or deserving of the privi- |
lege. 1t seems to us the height of folly
for a man to object to subscribing
to one. the provisions of which
he would observe under any cir
cumstances, whether he register or not.
In Nevada every person taking an oath |
Of Office has to swear that he Tor she) has
not fought duel, been a second, carried
or accepted challenge, or been in any |
way connected with a duel since the
adoption of the Constitution of the State.
1t seems rather absurd when one hears
this oath read to the female clerks of the
Legislature, but not one of them has ever
refused to take i, when elected or ap-
pointed to position of that kind. The
effect Of the oath has been that not
duel has been fought in Nevada since its
adoption, although previous to that time
they were by no means ofrare occurrence.
The DEMOCRAT has heretofore given rea-
sons why every Gentle loyal voter should
register and vote at the election. 1t has
endeavored to show how their failing to
do so, will detrimentally affect
the loyal cause in Congress. No
valid reason can be assigned why
they should not, while there are
scores of unanswerable ones why they
should. 1t is possible that with full
Gentle registrstion-especially with the
adoption Of the fusion policy advocated
by The DEMocRAT-to secure respecta-
bic minority in the Legislature, and
the election of a considerable num-
Der OF school officers in the
Territory. The Loyal League, although
not political organization, should direct
its efforts towards the securing of a full
Gentle registration. Having effected
this it should leave the election policy to
be decided by the bodies where the
questions properly belong.
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